Second Beginnings
by n00dl3gal
Summary: The FINAL story in the Second Series. Just as their vacation ends, Pit and Viridi must fight an old foe to protect all they hold dear- including one another. But someone isn't coming out of this battle safely... Rated T for mild language, violence, and gore. Less romantic than the other stories in this series, instead, more action-oriented.
1. Chapter 1: My Honeymoon Sucked

This is it, people. The final story in the Second Series.

It's been a long time coming, and it's hard to say goodbye. But don't worry! There's still a little left!

So enjoy! Enjoy these last few words with Pit and Viridi! Enjoy the lovely beta work done by Konpeki Rei! Enjoy the whole "I-don't-own-Kid-Icarus-please-don't-sue-me" schtick.

But most of all, enjoy Second Beginnings.

* * *

Chapter 1

My Honeymoon Sucked, I Want a Refund

"_**HADES**__**?" **_

He looks at us with mock horror. "Oh, you two? I'm hurt- wounded, even. Did you really forget about your old Uncle Hades?"

Viridi is stuttering, but I manage a complete thought. "What the HELL are YOU doing here? I killed you!"

Hades shakes his finger like a scolding mother. "Language, Pitty. Yes, you killed me. But you also killed Medusa, and she came back after only 25 years. Don't you think I deserve a second chance as well?"

I scowl. "That Medusa was a fake you made, and you know it! Now tell me how you're here!" _And __don__'__t __say__ "__Second __Chance__" __around __me__, __either__- __I __really __like __that __story__..._

"P-Pit, what do we do?" Viridi asks me, cowering in my arms.

A familiar cliff- I think it's the same one I fought Hades at last time- is only a few meters away, so I fly above it and land. "Stay put," I tell her, then dash towards the edge to yell at my foe.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Oh simple. I want revenge. Duh. I would have thought that would be obvious," he sighs. "Still as slow as ever, I see."

I grab for my bow, but my hand meets only air. _That__'__s __right__. __I __packed __my __weapons __up__. __Great__..._ And suddenly there's a burst of light and some Viridi Claws are hovering in front of me. I look back at my wife. She's grinning, wooden staff out and posed in a fighting stance. I return the smile, arm myself, and retreat to her side.

"You ready for this?" I ask her, noticing she looks a little tense.

She nods, her happy face gone and replaced with a grim expression of resolve. "We may not have the Great Sacred Treasure, but we might be able to at least hurt him if we work together."

I smirk and squint. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

"Yeah, yeah," she says. With that, a loud boom reverberates across the sky. Vri slams her staff again, causing hundreds of Flages to appear and strike with ninja precision. Unfortunately, it appears that Hades is much stronger than me (_well__, __yeah _says my reason), so attacks that would have finished me barely make him flinch.

"Alright, my turn!" I shout, sending a forward- dash charged shot square to his jaw. I may have broken a tooth, but I highly doubt it. He's close enough for me to use a few melee attacks, which I use in abundance. I need to give him as much damage as I can.

Hades yawns, then flicks his finger in our direction. Purple fire balls race to burn us to crisps. Viridi and I dodge and weave, getting very close to singed several times. I volley a handful back at the source, two of which make contact. The blows are more superficial than actually harmful, but I'm willing to take any success I can get. Viridi stomps and the clouds seem to rain out Nutskis, hundreds upon thousands of them. The little monsters can't even put a dent on the God of the Underworld, though. I look at the struggling goddess.

"Attack him directly! Use your godly powers!"

She nods, then closes her eyes. Vines sprout from nothing and wrap around Hades' arms and legs, locking him in place. She winks at me. "Remember when I did this to you?"

I chuckle, then leap into a combo of ranged and melee shots that lasts for a good five minutes straight. When I ceasefire, Hades' nose is broken and his lip bleeds profusely.

"Well played, you two. You make quite the pair," the villain spits out. "However, I still have the upper hand. Or should I say 'arm?'"

The sound of the machine gun arm is deafening. I curl up into a protective roll, scooping the blonde woman into my arms. When I peer out of my huddle to check on the god, he's gone. Or so I think, before I spot him about twenty yards away, looking decidedly smaller.

"You can do that to?" Viridi asks.

"All of the gods can do this, rosebud. Seriously, check the manual," is the snarky reply.

I growl. No one makes fun of my Vri. "But why bother? Being smaller evens the playing field. Why would you even give us a chance?"

"Simple. This form uses less power."

"Huh?" Viridi and I say simultaneously.

"Oh, nothing. Never mind that. Now, if I may quote Thanny- Poo, "'tis time to get on with the fisticuffing!'"

_Wait __a __sec__... __didn__'__t _I_say __that __when __I __was __mocking __Thanatos__? __And __what__'__s __all __this __about__ "__using __less __power__?"_

"Pit, snap out of it!"

"Huh? AAA!" And I'm drop- kicked off the cliff. I grab onto the edge, but I'm struggling to keep my grip. "Viridi! Help!"

She runs to my side, but a fireball knocks her away. "Uh- uh. You're supposed to die here, remember?"

She mutters to herself, then her hazel eyes light up with an idea. She raises her staff high, then lowers it in a blur. A speck appears in the sky. No, not a speck, something bigger... something more purple... something that looks unnervingly like-

"A RESET BOMB? VIRIDI, I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU GOT RID OF THOSE!"

She glares at me. "Well, excuse me princess! But I'm using it to SAVE YOUR LIFE!"

"Oh snap," Hades mutters, just as the bomb detonates on his head. Prickers and thorns climb on my leg, tearing into the skin with their jaggers. I wince in pain, but I pull myself back up onto the cliff, fingers burning from the hang I endured.

I look around, familiarizing myself with my surroundings. Vri is kneeling in front of me. "Why aren't we dead? I thought Reset Bombs killed anything alive."

She shakes her head. "They destroy anything _human_, Pit. Neither of us are human. We're fine."

"Oh. OK." Realization kicks in. "Vri, Hades isn't human either."

"... Oops."

"Yeah, that's a pretty big 'oops,' sweetheart," calls the sinister voice of pure, unadulterated evil. The sound is followed by a punch that sends Viridi flying, her blonde hair snagging in the tangle of vines and branches. Her entire right sleeve is ripped off by a particularly stubborn pine. She gasps and shrieks until crashing into a tree head-first, which most likely knocked her unconscious.

And then she lands on the ground. The unmistakable sound of a crunching bone. Bruises on every inch of exposed skin. Her elbow at an unreal angle. A puddle of some red liquid forming at the base of her neck.

Her gasp for air, then silence.

"VIRIDI! NO! _VIRIIIIDIIIIII__!"_

End Chapter 1

* * *

CLIFFHANGER!

What will happen to Viridi? Is Hades beatable? WILL I EVER WRITE THAT FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST STORY? Find out all this and more in the next and final chapter of Second Beginnings!


	2. Chapter 2: End of The World

Well, here it is. The final chapter of the Second Series. Go ahead, cry.

*bawls*

Cheer up! There's a happy ending! I promise!

Beta reading done by Konpeki Rei.

Kid Icarus is owned by Nintendo.

And for the last time... enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 2

It's The End of The World As We Know It

"VIRIDI! NO! _VIRIIIIDIIIIII__!"_

Time slows down to an almost-paused pace. I'm at her side in an instant. The bone in the crook of her elbow is slightly exposed, and I feel like retching. Blonde hair matted with blood, sticking to her bruised skin. I'm dimly aware of Hades preparing himself for another attack, but he's not the priority. I need to focus, I need to make sure the faint rising and falling of her chest isn't my imagination. Thank the gods, it isn't. She's still alive.

"P-p-pit?" she stutters, a cough sending blood dribbling down her chin.

"Shh, shh, don't move," I tell her. "Stay still."

Her eyes snap shut as she winces in pain. "Ev-everyth-thing hur-hurts..."

I grab a branch of a nearby tree and fashion it into a makeshift splint, then secure it to her arm using a strip of my toga as a bandage. "I know. Listen, just hold on a little while longer, then I'll get you all fixed up, OK? Just don't move and don't think about the pain."

Her hazel pupils scan every which way, then enlarge at a disturbing sight. "Hades..." she murmurs.

"Yes, Hades did this to you. Good, good, I don't think you have any brain damage then..."

"No, Ha-hades! Behind you!" she screeches.

I turn my head and duck at the last second, narrowly avoiding a fireball to the head. I stand up and scowl at my adversary. "You," I growl, pointing my weapon at him.

"Me," Hades responds, giving a contended shrug. "Sorry about that, rosebud. Didn't mean to get you that banged up, but it certainly makes my job easier."

"You nearly killed her," I say in a steely voice. Cold hatred burns in my eyes.

He nods, apparently pleased at his despicable act. "Yes, I suppose I did. Of course, that fall did some damage as well."

"I could stand you hurting me. I could stand being brutally murdered if it meant that Viridi and the rest of the world would be safe. But the one thing I cannot stand is someone that stoops so low as to attack a person when they're trying to save an ally. I cannot stand someone that hurts my wife. I cannot stand YOU. So you know what I think?" I ask.

Hades ponders, then shakes his fiery head. "Not a clue."

I give a small smirk, and place my feet a bit apart. I raise my arms in a fighting stance. "Evil bastard standing before me!"

Viridi sighs behind me. "P-pit, again?"

"It's time for you to atone for your crimes!" I flick my hair over my shoulder as I turn away from the villain.

Hades rolls his eyes. "Seriously, Pitty Pat, this is becoming a bit cliche," he deadpans.

"I am Pit, husband to the Goddess of Nature!" I jump and spin in the air. "And you!" I pull my arms back. "Are!" I can see the target hovering over the God of the Underworld turn into a charged shot, directly over his chest. "HISTORY!" I charge towards him.

His eyes go wide in shock. "A forward- dash charged melee attack? But that's impossible!"

I focus on my aim, praying this works, praying I don't just slam into a wall of meat...

"_BURN __IN __HELL__, __HADES__!"_

_SPLOTH__._

My Claws neatly slice him into four pieces, black blood spurting from his veins and arteries. Organs hit the ground with a satisfying "thunk." I pant before collapsing on my knees in exhaustion. Sparks fly from his intestines.

Wait, what? Sparks?

"Did-d we win?" Viridi mutters. No time to investigate the sparks now. I return to her side in four seconds flat.

"What's wrong? Did the shrapnel hit you? Please, don't pass out on me or... or worse," I trail off. "Don't die. Please, I can't bear the thought of you dead... I love you," I whisper.

"Pit-tty, I love you, too," she breaths in return, before falling asleep. Now, to check out those organs.

I scan the flesh closely. It's metallic, probably steel or iron. Wire poke out at the ends, electrical currents creating miniature firework displays. The black blood oozing from the holes is actually oil.

"How?" I cry. "What is this?"

Another male laugh fills my ears, but this one is less evil and more grandfatherly. "Ho-ho! Well done, whippersnapper! I was afraid you would never beat it!"

I gasp as my mind identifies the voice. "Dyntos? Is that you?"

"Yep, that's my name," says the elderly God of the Forge, who appears in front of me, leaning over Viridi. "Sorry about her. Didn't mean to injure her this much."

I'm still in shock over the Goddess of Nature's crash, Hades' "death," and Dyntos' appearance. "What are you doing here?"

He sighs. "Still as dumb as a post, I see. Well, Pit, didn't you notice how I lacked to give you and young Viridi a wedding gift?" I nod. "Well, that's cuz it still had a few flaws. But while you two were on your honeymoon, I finished it, and let me tell you, son, I was just pleased as punch with the results. So, I decided to surprise you two by revealing it on your way home!" he explains.

I struggle to fit everything together in a sensical pattern. "So then... Hades was one of your creations?"

He nods, satisfied with my answer. "Thought you two might like a change from fighting one another. Palutena was behind me wholeheartedly, I'll let you know."

I pale. "YOU MEAN YOU TRIED TO KILL US FOR OUR WEDDING GIFT?!" I scream.

He raises his hands in peace, as if I would attack him with an unconscious Viridi lying between us. "Never to kill, maybe maim..."

I grit my teeth, pull back my right fist, and hit him square in the face. "Now we're even."

Dyntos rubs his nose gingerly. "I deserved that," he admits. "But in all honesty, I never meant for anybody to get that hurt."

Sighing, I stroke Viridi's hair. "Well, then how do you explain this?" I ask, indicating the various damage she's taken.

He rummages through his toga pockets before pulling out a small red bottle. "Here, have her drink this." I take the medicine- at least, that's what I assume it is- and bring it to her lips. Since she's still sleeping, the only method to get it in her mouth is to sip some myself, be careful not to swallow, then pour it in via a kiss. The taste is familiar.

"A Drink of the Gods?" I sputter after doing the job. Viridi's breathing becomes less labored.

"Highly concentrated Drink of the Gods. Guaranteed to heal even the most brutal of ailments," he tells me. "Just look, young'n."

I do, and I see cuts scabbing over, bone lining back up underneath new pink skin, eyes fluttering open...

"PIT!" she yells, diving into my chest.

"Shh, I'm here, don't worry, you're safe," I croon into her ear, rubbing her back.

"H-Hades?" She peeks out from my toga. I pat her head.

"One of Lord Dyntos' tricks. Er, gifts," I correct myself. "He didn't mean to hurt you, so don't attack him. Please. He's actually the reason you're still alive."

She looks from me to him and back to me again. Then she grins. "Thanks, Lord Dyntos. That was quite the workout."

He laughs. "No problem my dear! I'll be running along now. Don't be a stranger!" And with that, he disappears in a puff of smog. I cough, then face my wife. "How are you feeling?"

She rolls her (now un)broken arm experimentally. "OK, I guess. A little sore. Pit?" She stares at my face hungrily.

"Yeah?" I ask.

She gives me a small grin. "Thank you for saving me. I'm sorry... I'm sorry I wasn't more useful." A tear rolls down her cheek.

I place a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, who saved me from falling off the cliff? Huh? I owe you, too. I'd say we're even," I laugh. She giggles as well. "C'mon, let's get home," I tell her. I pick her up carefully in a bridal carry, ready to take to the skies. I dash off the edge of the land and soar, expanding my wings to their full diameter.

We've flown for about two minutes when I feel a tug on my tunic. I look down to see Viridi's beautiful face grinning mischievously. I inquire as to what she's thinking. "Oh, nothing," she says, "just the fact that I think I'm ready. How about you?"

Our pupils lock, piercing blue intertwining with smiling caramel. I give a smile so large it stretches my face muscles until they ache. "Yeah, I'm ready too."

I flap my wings twice, and speed off towards the promise of a new adventure, and a new life- all with the woman I love by my side. And you know what?

I'm not sorry I had to keep waiting.

The Complete and Utter End

* * *

And there it is. The end. I hope you enjoyed it. But please, don't think I'm abandoning Piridi completely. No, I want to peruse some other projects right now, but I do have some other little stories in mind for our angel and goddess... Which reminds me- I'm running a poll on my profile, where you can vote for which project I start next. Also on my profile is a list of other future stories, and shippings I support.

To all of the reviewers that thought Viridi was going to die: I never said that. I can not kill anybody in my stories (that's a good guy- villains, on the other hand, are just canon fodder). All I said was that someone wasn't going to make it out _safely._ Let's face it, just recovered from a near-death experience is not safely (and frankly, neither is it "safely" if you just got punched in the nose. Sorry, Dyntos).

Before anybody asks: what Viridi says she's ready for? Well, I'll let you figure out for yourselves.

Thank you, everybody, for reading. This may have been one of the best experiences of my life, and I owe it all to my readers. Your reviews, your faves... they pushed me on. This is my gift to you.

Goodbye, good luck, and long live Kid Icarus and Piridi! ~ N00dl3Gal


End file.
